Three-month-old boy survives bout with flesh-eating bacteria

A desperately ill little boy was brought to the Westchester Medical Center in serious condition last Friday, suffering from what doctors initially thought was a blockage in his intestines. But doctors soon realized that three-month-old Saul Morales was being attacked by a flesh-eating bacteria that had developed in his stomach, and if left untreated, it could have killed him. The hospital's hyperbaric unit headed by Clinical Director Glenn Butler and Dr. Karen Buckley immediately sprang into action. The baby was placed into a hyperbaric chamber, normally used to treat decompression illness, also known as the bends. The chamber delivers high-pressure oxygen to the bloodstream, which combined with other treatments including antibiotics, kills the bacteria.The flesh-eating bacteria, also known as necrotizing fasciitis, usually affects the elderly, diabetics, or those with an immune deficiency. Saul does not fit any of those descriptions, making his diagnosis and treatment that much more remarkable.The medical team at the Westchester Medical Center says they think Saul will be able to go home some time this weekend.